Shirt packaging device



Aug. 18, 1953 w, w, McFALL 2,649,228

I SHIRT PACKAGING DEVICE Filed April 19, 1951 35 34 M INVENTOR.

E Maui/297701 2214 BY @IWMW- Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STA'lEfi PATENT ()FFICE SHIRT PACKAGING DEVICE The present invention relates to improvements in a paperboard shirt packaging or protecting device of the general type illustrated and described in my Patent No. 2,548,998, dated January 11, 1949.

It is an object of the invention to provide a two-piece shirt packaging device of the sort referred to which is characterized by a generally rectangular member affording a rear or bottom panel and an apertured upper, collar protecting panel adapted to overlie the collar of a shirt, and by a locking element which engages the shirt collar and last named protective panel, the latter panel having improved provisions adjoining the aperture thereof to engage the rear panel in a stable, displacement resistant fashion and being held in place by the locking element, thereby to impart added rigidity and stability to the package as a whole.

Another and more specific object i to provide a shirt packaging device of the foregoing character in which the upper panel of the main backin member of the device has various integral tabs or elements cut from the material thereof and adjoining an aperture in the panel which overlies the collar of a shirt packaged by the device, these tabs including a vertical strut positioned at the forward throat portion of the collar opening and adapted to be folded down thereinto, the strut terminating in a bendable sup-porting foot of substantial area having stable frictional bracing engagement with the rear of the shirt adjacent the throat to prevent inadvertent displacement of the strut from its intended position.

A still further object is to provide a protective packaging device of the character referred to in the preceding paragraphs, in the form of a backing member having an upper, collar covering and protecting panel, in which a separate locking member is associated with the backing member and shirt collar to lock the former in proper position, and in which said panel includes, in addition to said strut tab, a pair of further integral tabs slitted from the material thereof which are adapted to depend within the opening of the collar and thereby properly position the locking element beneath the upper panel of the backing member, so that the locking element itself serves as a strut or column to vertically sustain that panel.

Yet another object is to provide a device of the foregoing character including a backing member presenting an upper, collar covering panel which is slitted to define certain bracing and positioning tabs adapted to be bent downwardly into a shirt collar opening, the area of the tabs representing all of the area of the panel which is slitted in defining the tabs, so that maximum use is made of the material of the blank from which the device is fabricated for the purpose of rigidifying the ultimate package.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the device.

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for purpose of illustration, but it will be appreciated that the invention may be incorporated in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating, in a flat unfolded condition, a paperboard backing member or sheet which is one of the elements of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a flexible paperboard locking element which is the second element of the device;

Fig. 3 is a plan view generally illustrating the appearance of the packaging device as applied to a collar-attached shirt;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner of manipulating the locking element after the remainder of the device has been operatively positioned;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 3 but in larger scale and better illustrating the position of the parts of the device with relation to the shirt which is packaged; and

Figs. 6 and '7 are, respectively, fragmentary views in vertical section along lines 66 and 11 of Fig. 5, further illustrating the relationship of the parts of the device to one another in their operative position.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the individual components of the present shirt packaging device. These are a generally rectangular paperboard backing or mounting member I!) and a locking element ll, both generally similar in external outline to corresponding parts shown in my patent identified above. Member ID is transversely creased at l2, iii to define a rectangular rear or bottom backing panel M, an outer connecting wall l5 and an upper collar-protecting panel [6. The last named panel is provided with a generally U-shaped slit ll, a pair of oppositely arranged, hook-like slits l3 spaced longitudinally therefrom, and a further pair of oppositely arranged, ob-

tusely angled slits l3 which extend, respectively, from the approximate midpoints of slits l8 to points located intermediate the termini of U-slit l7, slightly around the opposite ends of the base of the latter. The adjacent ends of the respective slits H, A8 are connected by creases l9, and the remaining ends of the two hooked slits l8 are onnected by a crease 2B. This slitting and creasing serves to outline a pair of opposed tabs or wings 2! which are hinged to panel 16 by creases l9 and a further, tongue-like strut element 22 which is hinged to the panel by crease 23. Member 22 is subdivided by a transverse crease 23 into a main strut portion 24 and a terminal friction foot 25 of slightly greater area. In use, these tabs and strut are folded downwardly at right angles to the plane of the panel it, so as to define an aperture 25in the panel overlying the collar opening of a shirt 2? to which the device is applied.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 1 that all of the material of the upper panel [6 is utilized for the purpose of providing the tabs, strut and friction foot. All of these elements mutually contribute to the stiffening and rigidification of the device to guard the shirt collar, in a manner later described.

The locking element H supports panel [6 in protective relation to the collar 28 of the shirt and also releasably locks the device to the shirt. It is fabricated of paperboard similar to the sheet l0 and includes a collar tuck portion 30 having a pair of curved, laterally extending wings 3i, and a locking and strut portion 32 connected to portion 30 by a central, generally triangular web or bridge 33. Portion 32 also has a pair of laterally extending, panel supporting arms or wings 3:4. The portions 30, 32 are bendably connected to web 33, as by a'weakened or creased fold line 35.

In use, the shirt is folded about backing panel M, as described in my patent, and the panel i6 is arranged over the collar neckband 36, as shown in Fig. 4. The wings 3| of locking element 1 i are now slipped between the lapels or flaps of the collar and the shirt neckband 36, as in Fig. 4. Next the locking element is folded rearwardly over the forward throat portion of the collar and downwardly about hinge 35 to bring the strut arms 34 into the panel opening 26. This automatically wipes the tabs 2| downwardly around creases l9 to a depending relation to panel 56, as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and '7.

As the locking element is being manipulated in the above fashion its strut portion 32 engages the hinged strut portion 24 of strut member 22 while swinging downwardly into panel opening 25. This causes portion 4 to bend downwardly about hinge 28 towards a vertical depending relation to panel E6. The dimension of portion 24 between creases 2fi23 is chosen approximately equal to the height of shirt collar 28. Hence, as the strut approaches the rear of the shirt, backed by panel Hi, the friction foot portion 25 of the strut hinges reversely about crease 23. The foot 25 finally comes to flush, surface-to-surface engagement with the rear of the shirt, in which position the strut portion 24 is frictionally braced at a right angle to panel 6 to which it is hinged. The otherwise relatively weak, flimsy bridging web 33 of locking element H, which web overlies strut 2d, is thus strongly braced from underneath by the latter.

Upon completion of the last mentioned operation, the locking and strut wings 34 of element ill have passed underneath the side margins of opening 26 in panel I GI Their inherent resiliency causes the wings to spring apart underneath the panel and outwardly beyond the panel aperture (see Fig. 5). Here they look the parts of the device against inadvertent displacement relative to the shirt. Outward movement of wings 34 is limited by the down-turned tabs 21, so that in their final position the wings act as struts for the panel [B at a medial zone where the panel is otherwise most subject to bending.

It is thus seen that all of the material surrounding panel opening 26 lends itself to the stiffening and strengthening of the device for most eifective protection of the shirt collar. The wings 3| of locking element ll both anchor the same in place and act as vertical struts between the neckband 36 and collar wings. The tabs 2! may, if desired, be of suificient vertical extent in operative condition to engage the shirt in the fashion of a strut, though this would result in a sacrifice of thickness of the strut 2 Their primary purpose is to limit external swing of arms 34 of element H, hence to place the column-like support of those arms where it is most needed. The depending strut 24 bolsters the panel 18 and web 33 and, since this action would be lost were the strut allowed to slip out of proper vertical position, the terminal strut foot 25 makes its contribution by frictionally anchoring the same in place. This is in addition to the rear restraining action of the locking element on strut 2Q. Locking element arms 34 complete the protection by preventing inadvertent displacement of the device from the collar.

I claim:

1. A two-part shirt packaging device comprising a paperboard rectangular sheet including an upper collar protecting panel having means to support the same in covering relation to the col lar of a shirt, said panel being cut and creased to provide an opening and a pair of laterally spaced tabs bendably connected thereto in adjoining relation to said opening and adapted to be deflected into the latter. and a forward bracing flap hingedly connected thereto in a Zone adjacent the forward throat portion of the collar and between said tabs, said flap being subdivided into a strut portion immediately adjoining the hinge thereof and an extension hinged to said strut portion, said flap being swingable about its panel hinge to position said strut portion in said opening at a right angle to the panel, said extension engaging the shirt within said collar at a right angle to said strut portion to restrain the latter from displacement, and a locking element separate and distinct from said first named sheet and engageable with said collar to hold the same in place, said locking element extending over said bracing flap in operative position and having outwardly extending arms engaging beneath said panel when in operative position, said arms fiexing outwardly against said tabs.

2. A two-part shirt protecting device comprising a backing member providing a panel adapted to overlie the opening of a collar-attached shirt, and a locking element separate and distinct from said backing member having arms engageable between the neckband and fiaps of said shirt, said panel being cut and creased to provide a pair of laterally spaced tabs in hinged relation thereto, and an intermediate strut member hinged thereto between said tabs, said tabs and strut being swingable inwardly and downwardly relative to said panel to provide an opening overlying the collar opening of said shirt, said strut being at a right angle to the panel in operative position and having an extension of substantial area which is bendable at a right angle thereto for frictional engagement with the rear of the shirt, said looking element having a pair of arms adapted to be flexed and inserted in said panel opening over said strut for outward flexure into vertically interlocked bracing relation to the panel and into side-by-side relation to said tabs.

3. A two-part shirt protecting device comprising a backing member providing a panel adapted to overlie the opening of a collar-attached shirt, and a locking element separate and distinct from said backing member having arms engageable between the neckband and flaps of said shirt, said panel being out and creased to provide a .ntrut member and swingable inwardly and downwardly at a right angle to the panel in operative position and having an extension of substantial area which is bendable at a right angle thereto for frictional engagement with the rear of the shirt, said locking element having a pair of arms adapted to be flexed and inserted in said panel opening over said strut for outward flexure into vertically interlocked bracing relation to the 20 panel and into side-by-side relation to said tabs.

4. A shirt protecting device comprising a backing member providing a panel adapted to overlie the opening of a collar-attached shirt, said panel being cut and creased to provide a pair of laterally spaced tabs in hinged relation thereto, and an intermediate strut member hinged thereto between said tabs, said tabs and strut being swingable inwardly and downwardly relative to said panel to provide an opening overlying the collar opening of said shirt, said strut being hinged to said panel by a crease constituting a margin of said panel opening, said strut being at a right angle to the panel in operative position and having an extension of substantial area which is bendable at a right angle thereto for frictional engagement with the rear of the shirt.

WILLIAM W. MCFALL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,458,998 McFall Jan. 1'1, 1949 2,568,843 Bartholome Sept. 25, 1951 2,581,696 OReilly Jan. 8, 1952 

